Daughter of Prophecy
by SpellStorm
Summary: Post Giant War, partial AU. While celebrating their victory, Rachel gives a prophecy that confuses everyone. How will they react to meeting a girl that shouldn't exist?
1. Prologue

**I feel awful. I broke a promise to myself. I told myself I wouldn't start posting this story until I was at least halfway done with it. But, since I can't wait anymore and I'm only on Chapter Six, updates are just gonna be slow, okay? But hey, at least I'm gonna update regularly! (I hope.)**

**This is an AU for Heroes of Olympus, taking place soon after the Giant War. Also (SPOILER for MoA!) Percy and Annabeth never fell into Tartarus! I know, huge change, but it's for the good of the story.**

**So without further ado, I give you: the prologue of my new story!**

**P.S. Not all chapters will be this short!**

* * *

**Prologue**

"Fellow warriors!" Reyna called loudly, drawing all attention to her and effectively ending all conversation. "We have overcome a great obstacle. We have saved the world from the earth herself!" Cheers could be heard throughout the crowd. "But we have done more than defeat Gaea and her giants; we have created a bond between two camps, two groups of demigods who have never before gotten along. Any time out races have crossed paths in the past, it has ended in death and bloodshed. Admittedly, we came close to the same fate only weeks ago.

"But I, for one, am willing to put that possibility behind me and strive for a new future alongside these newfound comrades." The raven-haired praetor raised her goblet. "And now, a toast! To Camp Jupiter's new allies, with whom I hope to develop a solid relationship. To the Greeks!"

"To the Greeks!" the gathered Romans repeated, lifting their own drinks.

"_Senatus Populusque Romanus!"_

Every half-blood echoed the daughter of Bellona.

Reyna opened her mouth to speak again, but everyone was distracted by the mass of green mist that suddenly swirled over the ground. The Romans were immediately on alert, confusion marring their faces, but the Greeks just looked expectantly to Reyna's left.

Octavian was shocked and engrossed as he stared at the redhead beside him. Rachel's eyes glowed an eerie green. She opened her mouth.

"_The maiden goddesses' only child, _  
_Born of wisdom, hearth, and wild, _  
_Thirteen years raised underground, _  
_Hidden for peace, to never be found._  
_The time for her return has come, _  
_Rising to see at last the sun._  
_Her presence alone shall call the raven, _  
_Her life enough to save the havens."_

Jason, having witnessed plenty of prophecies during his months at Camp Half-Blood, caught Rachel as she fell. He swung her into his arms and laid her down on a nearby bench to sleep off the blackout.

There was complete silence for a moment. Then Percy spoke. "Well, at least it's not another Great Prophecy."

The weak joke broke the spell. Some campers (the Greeks) laughed nervously; others (the Romans) continued to stare at the sleeping redheaded mortal in varying stages of shock and fear. Annabeth rolled her eyes and muttered _Seaweed Brain_ under her breath before kissing her boyfriend's cheek for his stupidity.

Piper, always the diplomat, cleared her throat. "Camp Jupiter, may I present Rachel Elizabeth Dare, Camp Half-Blood's resident Oracle of Delphi."

Rachel, of course, chose that moment to wake up.

"What did I say?" she asked sleepily, sitting up.

Things were about to get a lot more interesting.

* * *

**PLEASE review and let me know what you think! Pretty please?**


	2. Chapter One - Hazel

**I'm updating a day early, yay! Yes, I've decided to update once a week, usually on Tuesdays, if I can get access to the family laptop. I'm posting today because I can't wait any longer.**

**I would like to thank everyone who reviewed, favorited, or followed either this story or me. So thank you!**

**Also, this fanfic will be told in four different POVs with random interludes throughout.**

**Now please enjoy Chapter One!**

* * *

1 – Hazel

"It could only have meant the Greek goddesses!"

Hazel sighed tiredly. The Senate House was filled more than she'd ever seen it. She was surprised at how fast the Greeks had made friends. Dakota sat with his Greek half-brother Pollux; the Amazons were seated with the Hunters of Artemis.

And then, of course, there was Hazel's group. Beside her sat her officially-proclaimed boyfriend Frank, their hands clasped. Every now and then, he'd squeeze her fingers gently, keeping her from falling asleep.

On Hazel's other side was Nico; she had her head on his shoulder. Behind her was Annabeth, sitting close to Piper, both watching their boyfriends, who couldn't seem to stop smiling up at them from their places beside Reyna.

In front of Nico sat Thalia, glaring dangerously at a very restless, very ADHD Leo. On the Hunter's other side, Clarisse – a particularly aggressive sibling of Frank's – looked ready to rip the poor tinkerer's hand off so he'd stop tapping. Reyna's sister Hylla seemed prepared to help.

In the space between the mass of seated demigods and the three praetors, the cause of everyone's headaches plowed on.

"_Our_ maiden goddesses don't have children," Octavian insisted. "You've all met the offspring of Minerva's Greek form! Who knows what others have broken their oath?"

Thalia surged to her feet, livid. "Watch what you're saying, augur," she growled dangerously. "The Hunters aren't only skilled in archery; we won't hesitate to defend our lady's honor."

Even without their bows, the immortal girls looked intimidating. Anyone would think twice before speaking.

Unfortunately, Octavian wasn't "anyone".

"All I'm saying is that if _Athena_ broke her vow of maidenhood, the others –"

This time, he was cut off by an outraged blonde.

"Athena has _never_ broken a vow! Her children are a combination of two brilliant minds, born from her head as she was from Zeus'! My mother has done no wrong."

Annabeth sat back down, beginning to look embarrassed now that she was calming down. The building was silent.

Finally, Jason cleared his throat. "So there's that."

Rachel, who had been observing Octavian's pacing rant with an expression of boredom for the past twenty minutes, stepped forward. All eyes turned to the oracle.

"I've told you I don't know the meaning of this prophecy," the mortal began. "But I do know that pointing fingers and accusing goddesses isn't going to give us the answers. Besides, now that I've thought about it, I may know something after all."

From her praetor's chair, Reyna nodded. "Go ahead, Rachel."

The redhead took a deep breath. "Back in New York, ever since I half-moved into my cave, Lord Apollo has been visiting me, making sure I'm okay, not going crazy from all the visions. He likes seeing the paintings I make of the images in my mind.

"Lately, Apollo's been talking a lot about his twin, and I don't mean Artemis; I mean Diana. He also says stuff about the Muses. Maybe it means nothing, but this is Apollo; he's always up to something."

Everyone was quiet as they took the new information in. After a moment, Percy stood up from his temporary praetor's chair.

"_The maiden goddesses' only child_," he stated. "We've already deducted it either means Athena, Hestia, and Artemis, or Minerva, Vesta, and Diana."

"_Born of wisdom, hearth, and wild_," Jason continued. "Well, it's either another reference to the goddesses, or the child literally came from wisdom, hearth, and wild."

"_Thirteen years raised underground_," Piper added, catching on. "The child must be thirteen years old, then, and no one's ever heard of her because she was raised under the earth."

The Romans – sans Jason, Hazel, and Frank – all looked confused, but the Greeks pressed on. They'd been deciphering prophecies for centuries; they knew how to get it done.

"_Hidden for peace, to never be found_." This time, it was Annabeth who spoke. "Well, they _are_ maidens; whatever child they had must have sparked a huge controversy with the other gods. It makes sense that they would be forced to hide her away. Maybe the other gods think she's dead or something."

Thalia added the next lines. "_The time for her return has come _/ _Rising to see at last the sun_. Obviously, she's coming soon, whenever _soon_ is. We have no way of knowing _where_ she'll come, but we can figure that out later."

Leo was the last to speak. "_Her presence alone shall call the raven _/ _Her life enough to save the havens_. The raven could be referring to a god, a goddess, or some kind of monster; there's really no way to tell. I don't like that last part, though. Does it mean she'll die? Does it mean she'll become something? And what havens?"

No one spoke. Eventually, Reyna stood.

"We all have been given a lot to think about. We will adjourn for today. Percy, Jason, with me. Everyone else is dismissed."

* * *

**Yeah, kinda boring chapter. It'll get better, I promise!**

**Please leave me a review! I'll love you for it! (But if not, I still love you for reading my story.)**


	3. Chapter Two - Hazel

**So this is chapter two! We are still in Hazel's point of view for the moment, until next chapter, at least!**

**I would like to point out that I did what I told myself I wouldn't do: added a fifth POV. Or maybe not. I haven't decided yet.**

**Also: guess who's baaaaaack?! (Hint: You'll have to read to find out, cause I'm not gonna tell you.)**

**Anyway, on with the chapter!**

* * *

**2 – Hazel**

"Hazel?"

The curly-haired girl turned reluctantly away from Frank and toward the door. Leo stood at the entrance to the barrack, looking uncertain and… was he _nervous_?

"Leo?" Hazel replied in confusion. "What are you doing here?"

He backed up a step. "I…. Never mind. I should go."

"No!" Hazel exclaimed. He jumped. "Sorry. But I didn't mean it like that; I was just surprised. I figured you'd be on the ship, or with Jason and Piper. But please, come on in!"

He did as she asked but sat down on a bunk right beside the door. He fidgeted constantly, fingers tapping out messages in Morse code. Hazel had never seen him look so nervous.

"What's up, Leo?" Frank asked. "You're smoking."

It was true: smoke was rising in curls from the tinkerer's hair.

Leo swallowed hard and turned to Hazel. "You know when we were in Utah searching for Celestial bronze to fix the _Argo II_?"

She nodded. "We took it from Narcissus' pond and got chased by a mob of angry nymphs."

"And do you remember who we met?"

"Yeah, Echo. What about her?"

"Well…." Leo beckoned through the open door. The air seemed to shimmer for a second before becoming a single shape.

Hazel gasped. A young girl stood just inside the barrack. If she hadn't had some idea of what to look for, Hazel would've missed her completely. She blended in almost perfectly with the nature outside. It took intense concentration to even see the outline of her body.

"_Echo_?!" Hazel exclaimed.

The girl nodded. "Echo," she confirmed.

The daughter of Pluto turned to stare at Leo. "How did – where did – _what_?!"

The Latino smiled for the first time. "That's what I said! She showed up on the _Argo II_ twenty minutes ago – almost gave me a heart attack when I recognized her. She just stood there staring at me until I said something she could actually repeat."

Frank was gaping at the nymph. He couldn't seem to look away now that he'd seen her.

Echo shifted uncomfortably under his stare. Leo reached out and, to Hazel's surprise, grabbed the voiceless girl's hand. It looked strange, like he was holding the air. He seemed to notice and closed the door. Immediately, the almost-invisible figure became solid.

Hazel saw how beautiful the cursed nymph was. Her hair was a long, wavy curtain of silky brown. Her eyes were _blue_; they reminded Hazel of a cloudless sky. Her skin was fair, and there was a sprinkling of freckles across the bridge of her nose.

Then Hazel realized – she could _see_ her.

Leo noticed her questioning look and grinned. "Yeah, I figured that out earlier. It makes sense if you think about it. She blends in with nature, but inside, everything is man-made."

"But why is she here?" Frank's voice broke through Hazel's wonder.

Leo's smile faded. "As you can imagine, it took a lot of yes or no questions to get the full story. The basics: Echo stayed in Utah with Narcissus for a while, like she told Hazel and me she was going to. She tried everything she could think of, but eventually she had to admit defeat. She left the island and, after weeks of finding nothing, she saw the ship landing. She walked all night until she found Camp Jupiter, waited until our meeting this morning was done, and approached me while I was checking on Festus."

Hazel was still confused. "But why would she leave the island?" She felt bad about ignoring Echo, but it wasn't as if the wood nymph could speak on her own.

Leo fidgeted. "Narcissus, um… died."

Echo whimpered.

The curly-haired son of Hephaestus leaped into action at the sound, standing up and wrapping his arms around the now-teary-eyed nymph. He rubbed her back soothingly.

Hazel shared a surprised look with Frank. The caring gesture was definitely unexpected. While in Greece, Leo had pretty much come to terms with what Nemesis had told him, that he would always be the seventh wheel, the only one of the seven demigods of the Prophecy who would never find someone. He'd told Hazel – late one night, when neither of them could quiet their brains enough to sleep – that he felt bad about leaving Echo behind in Utah, even though she wanted to stay, because she was like him: always looking in from the outside.

So maybe it was a bit strange. But maybe Echo and Leo would be good for each other.

Hazel gave Frank a _look_, and together they slipped around the embracing couple and quietly left the barrack.

* * *

**So, yeah. Echo's back! I love that girl (nymph, whatever) so much!**

**And no, Leo and Echo are not a couple (yet). But guess what? I've decided their couple name would be Eeo. Or Lecho. Whatever you prefer.**

**Please review! It helps me get through life without pain (and that was probably one of the dumbest things I've ever said/typed. Oh, well).**

**Peace, love, and whatever else comes next!**


	4. Chapter Three - Rachel

**Here's chapter three!**

**Not much to say today, except that I saw a picture online that made me panic: Nico made a promise to Percy right before Percy and Annabeth fell into Tartarus. "An oath to keep with a final breath". Dangit, demigods, STOP MAKING OATHS!**

**Also, updates might get a bit slow; I've got a huge bought of Writer's Block and am in the midst of writing chapter seven.**

**As you can see from the chapter title, we are now in Rachel's POV for the next two chapters. I love this girl!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

3 – Rachel

"If you were our oracle, this is where you'd spend your days."

The redhead didn't even flinch at the voice. She continued to stare up at the giant gold statue dominating the wall-less temple. It was similar to the one in the Zeus cabin at Camp Half-Blood, except the lightning bolt here was so utterly unrealistic.

The blond boy set a stuffed teddy bear on the marble alter and came to stand next to her.

"This is the place for an augur, not an oracle," Rachel responded in the same casual tone.

"And a _cave_ is?" Octavian scoffed.

"It's a nice cave!" she insisted. "There's an incredibly soft bed, a desk, and a whole corner sectioned off for art. It's in the woods, so the only real time I have absolutely zero privacy is during Capture the Flag; for that, I either spend time in the art cabin or relax on the beach. I _love_ Camp Half-Blood."

Octavian arched an eyebrow. "Why? They won't even let you play a child's game!"

Rachel snorted. "You ever played Capture the Flag in monster-infested woods while fending off members of the opposing team, dodging projectiles from archers in the trees, and avoiding the numerous traps that are nearly invisible because it's nighttime and the branches block out the moonlight?" She shook her head. "Besides, I don't play because they won't let me; it's because I don't _want_ to.

"I mean, I know basic demigod self-defense; I carry a Celestial bronze dagger with me at school; I even have a Stygian iron dog whistle to summon Percy's hellhound if I need a quick escape. I'm not defenseless, but I _am _the oracle. They can't risk losing me."

Honestly, Rachel didn't mind. She'd gotten used to the constant violence at camp – there was always a fight going on, normally between two Ares campers – but before meeting Percy, she hadn't condoned fighting _at all_. She understood it was necessary – literally life-or-death for demigods – but she didn't think she'd ever learn to fully accept it.

Octavian seemed confused by her words. "What does being an oracle have to do with fighting battles? Not that it'd be _good_ if you died, but don't you have others in training to replace you in case of an accident?"

Rachel looked at him, incredulous. "What like oracle interns or something? It's not something you _learn_, Octavian. My whole life I've seen monsters straight out of a horror movie. Until a few winters ago, I thought I was crazy. Last summer I started seeing images in my mind. I painted people I'd never met and wrote in Ancient Greek. I ended up in Manhattan during the battle with the Titan army. Camp Half-Blood's activities director talked to me about what I'd been seeing. And after the war was over, I rode Percy's pegasus to the camp and became the new Oracle of Delphi, as was always my fate."

"But… who are you descended from? Whose legacy are you?"

The redhead stared at him. "Octavian… _I'm mortal_." In the shocked silence following those two words, she continued. "I have no godly blood in my ancestry. I'm not even descended from the first Oracle of Delphi! I'm just a mortal who's always seen through the Mist.

"See? Oracles aren't just trained demigods, or legacies of Apollo like augurs. Being oracle is _dangerous_. It's a risk! Do you want to know what happened to the woman who tried to become the Oracle before me? It didn't work. The spirit didn't fully imprint in her. The reason: she'd already had a child. The tiny piece of oracle that _did _connect drove her insane. She's living in her own little reality now, making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and burnt chocolate chip cookies for a son who's never going to come home."

Rachel forced herself to relax and just _breathe_. She watched as the blond-haired augur tried to process what she'd said. She felt bad; he seemed to be struggling to understand.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have dumped all of that on you. It's just that, well… I can't talk to anyone else about this. I mean, I guess I _could_, if I really wanted to. But no one else _gets it_. Before me, the spirit was trapped inside the mummified body of a girl from the 90s. There was a curse on the Oracle that wouldn't allow anyone else to take on the spirit. So it was forced to reside in a dead host.

"And then I came along and offered myself as a host. The curse had been removed, but I was still scared as heck. It may have been my fate, but I was still new to the whole mythology-is-real thing."

Rachel sighed. "I've tried talking to my friends at camp about this. It just doesn't work out. This past year, Thalia has been the only person I can even remotely relate to, and that's only because she's a Hunter of Artemis, and part of the oath is to swear off men for all eternity. Annabeth is great, but she's a daughter of Athena; she overanalyzes things sometimes. Percy…. He'd be the ideal choice, right? Except he's the reason I'm part of all this. He's the reason I learned about the gods and the Mist and the Oracle. If he hadn't practically run me through with his sword at the Hoover Dam – long story," she said to Octavian's questioning gaze, "– I never would have been involved. I _can't_ talk to him; you've seen how he is, he'd blame himself." She blew out a huff of breath. "It's easy with you. An augur is the closest thing to an oracle that I'm ever going to get."

Silence reigned for several moments. Then Octavian took a breath. "So is there actually anything _good _about being the Oracle?"

A giggle forced itself past Rachel's lips. "Um… Well, I get complete access to pretty much everything at camp, plus I have somewhere to go when I'm on break from school. It really helped this past year; I'd made a stupid deal with my dad and was forced to attend a particular school. I can't stand my dad anyway, so the only crappy part about boarding finishing school was the 'finishing' part. After the Apollo cabin fixed up my cave, I had no reason to go home when I was off school." She smiled. "Oh, and another plus about being Oracle? When I don't feel good, people actually leave me alone because they're afraid I won't give them a quest when they ask for one. Perfect for when I get oracle headaches."

Octavian frowned. "What's an 'oracle headache'?"

"That's Rach's creation," a new voice said.

Both Rachel and Octavian turned and saw Percy leaning on a Roman column. He pushed off and continued.

"It's like a migraine but worse, or so she says. Basically, it's when her brain is so full of words and images and other oracle-y stuff that she can hardly function. She shuts out every source of light, burrows under her blankets, and sleeps all day. Personally, I think it's just an excuse to stay in her cave all day and avoid all her _adoring_ fans."

"I _do_ get headaches!" Rachel protested. "Excruciatingly painful ones! Stop eavesdropping, Kelp Head. Go play kissy-face with your Wise Girl."

"You know you love me, RED!" he retorted lightly, walking backwards.

"In your dreams, Fishy!"

His laugh floated back to them as he disappeared from sight.

Silence settled in the temple once again, but this was different than before, more comfortable.

After everything Jason had told Camp Half-Blood about Octavian, Rachel had expected a big, beefy guy with multiple tattoos and a deep, harsh voice. Thalia's little brother had described the legacy of Apollo as manipulative, ruthless to the point of cruelty, and a tyrant.

But the augur standing before her was nothing like the image her mind had created. He was tall but unbelievably skinny. His only tattoo was the one all Roman campers had. His voice, while occasionally hard, had a soft tone behind it that she suspected very few ever noticed.

Rachel had a feeling Octavian was extremely misunderstood. He hid behind a rough outer shell that was rarely ever penetrated.

But there one was stubborn oracle who was determined to tear it down.

* * *

**Ah, Rachel. :)**

**So, yeah. I've decided Octavian's not all that bad (but he's still a jerk). I feel that there's a reason he's so terrible. I hope I'm right.**

**Please review?**


	5. Chapter Four - Rachel

**Yay! Another chapter! And this one's Rachel again!**

**I'm so so so so SO sorry this is late! This past week has been a pain. I've been struggling in Earth Science, trying to get my Algebra II grade up, and working on memorizing lines for 3 plays I'm in for Theatre II. Life has been punching me in the face and laughing while doing it.**

**Oh, yeah. And I finally got around to reading _Divergent_, and now I'm officially obsessed. Oops.**

**Anyway, it's here now! I appreciate everyone who has reviewed, favorited, or followed this story!**

**On with the chapter!**

* * *

4 – Rachel

Rachel laughed out loud, tucking her freshly-straightened hair behind her ear. One of Piper's half-sisters, Lacy, had been fighting for the chance to attack the oracle's unruly mess with a hair-straightener for months, and, after leaving Octavian to his augur business, she'd finally given in. To the mortal's total shock, her normally-frizzy locks had been tamed and now hung in a smooth, heavy red curtain down her back.

The blond sitting next to her smiled a little. "I guess it _was_ a bit funny. But it hurt! That little girl has sharp teeth."

"Aww, Julia is so cute though!"

Octavian gave her a _look_. "Cute means nothing. Cuteness is just a mask that covers up evil. Just you wait, that 'cute little girl' will turn into an unstoppable warrior someday."

Rachel tilted her head. "Isn't that a good thing?"

"Not if she isn't on your side."

She was about to reply when she saw Hazel walking in the direction of the Field of Mars with Leo. That in itself wasn't unusual; the _Argo II_ was docked there, and the two curly-haired demigods were close. But what caught Rachel's attention was the _way_ they were walking, with extra space between their bodies, as if someone else stood with them.

Then she noticed a sort of shimmer in the air there, and that Leo seemed to be holding some of it….

Octavian followed her gaze, which more or less turned out to probably not be a good thing. Rachel was content to let the two half-bloods continue on their way and then interrogate them later.

Apparently, Octavian wasn't as inclined to wait.

"Hey, look at this diamond!" he exclaimed loudly, bending over to peer at the ground.

Rachel gave him a confused glance. There was nothing but pavement underneath the bench. What was he –?

Hazel's gaze snapped to them, her golden eyes wide. She rushed over, Leo trailing behind.

"Don't touch it!" the daughter of Pluto yelped fearfully. She frantically searched the street and looked up in puzzlement. Then her eyes narrowed at the augur. "Why do you find it so amusing to mess with me?" she demanded angrily. "You _know_ I'm overly-cautious about jewels from the ground!"

Rachel understood then, and she smacked the back of Octavian's head.

"Ow!" He rubbed the stinging spot, scowling at the oracle's glare.

"You could've waited, or at least used a different method. Leave Hazel's curse alone!"

"You probably shouldn't knock his head, Rach," Leo observed. "He's crazy enough as it is."

Octavian turned his sneer on the tinkerer, only to flinch again, this time away from Rachel's fingers flicking his ear. He grumbled in protest but conceded reluctantly, slumping back on the bench with his arms folded over his chest.

Rachel ignored his pouting and turned her gaze to Leo. "Gonna introduce us to your friend, firebug?"

Now that they were closer, she saw what she hadn't been able to see from a distance: a girl with long brown hair and eyes bluer than even Thalia's, and that was saying something.

Leo looked away from where he'd been staring in shock at Octavian's childish behavior and blinked. "What? Oh, yeah, of course!" With the hand holding the girl's, he gently pulled her closer. She was trembling slightly.

"Hey, it's alright," the fire-controlling half-blood soothed. "This is Rachel; she's the Oracle of Delphi and she knows Apollo. You know, Artemis' brother?"

Was that a hint of relief Rachel detected.

It must've been because Leo smiled encouragingly. He nodded toward the augur. "And that's Octavian; he's descended from Apollo." He turned to the two prophetic teens. "Guys, meet Echo."

Echo nodded in agreement.

Rachel stared at the tinkerer. "You don't mean the original one, do you? The one who was killed by humans because she refused Pan's advances?" She had met Pan a few summers ago when she helped Annabeth and Percy navigate Daedalus' Labyrinth. The god of the wild had blessed Grover before fading away. That experience, coupled with everything else she'd witnessed in the maze, had been enough to give Rachel nightmares for several months.

Echo cringed backward into Leo's arms. While the son of Hephaestus worked to comfort her, Hazel nodded. "That's her," she confirmed. "She was brought back during Gaea's, um, resurrection phase. Leo and I met her in Utah this past June."

Rachel glanced at Octavian and caught the glint in his eyes. She decided to intervene before he started demanding to interrogate the poor nymph.

"Well, it was great to meet you, Echo. You're very beautiful, by the way. And Hazel, sorry about the unnecessary panic attack. Octavian apologizes, right, Octavian?"

He looked pained. "Of course. My apologies, Hazel."

Hazel blinked in surprise. "Um… yeah, Octavian, of course. Just forget about it." She turned back to Rachel. "Have you seen my brother? He's not at the barracks or Pluto's temple like I thought he'd be."

The oracle shook her head. "Sorry, no. But he's Nico di Angelo; for all we know he could've shadow-traveled to China the second Reyna released us from the meeting. I'm sure he's fine."

The 1940s girl sighed. "Yeah, I know. I just like to know where he is. I don't care what he says, I'm older than him and his habit of disappearing is going to turn my hair grey if he doesn't knock it off."

A buzzing sound stopped anyone from replying. Octavian reached under his toga and pulled a vibrating cell phone out of his jeans pocket. Glancing at the lit-up screen, he slid his thumb and put the device to his ear. He stood up and strode away from their little group without a word.

Rachel looked at Hazel in confusion, but the daughter of Pluto just shrugged. The oracle sighed and waved it off.

Leo pulled a small bronze, rectangular box from his magic tool belt and checked something. "Hey, Hazel, I gotta get to the ship; Festus' steam levels are getting a little high. You can meet us there later, if you want."

Hazel shook her head. "I'm coming." She smiled at Rachel. "I'll see you later Rach. Leo and I are gonna try to teach Echo sign language so she doesn't have to repeat people. Keep an eye out for Nico!" she added as she followed the fire-controller and the wood nymph from the forum.

Rachel stayed on the bench for a moment before standing and walking toward Octavian. The blond augur had made his way to the other side of the huge fountain. As the mortal drew closer, her ears picked up part of the hushed conversation.

"How bad was it this time?" the Roman asked, his voice urgent. After listening for a minute, he said, "Well, where is it now, then? If they can't find it, it must be gone. Which means everything is going to get better."

Whatever the other person said next made Octavian freeze. "Exactly how big are we talking?"… "Oh." He struggled to stay calm. "I've got to go. Keep me updated." He removed the phone from his ear and tapped _end_.

Rachel waited a few seconds and then approached the augur. He had his hands laced behind his head. "Octavian?" she asked.

He started before turning to face her. She was shocked to see tears in his blue eyes.

"Octavian?!" she repeated, now alarmed.

He glanced around the forum quickly. Then he ducked his head, grabbed Rachel's wrist, and pulled her away. Stupefied, she let him.

They finally stopped in an alley behind the New Rome bakery. Mouthwatering scents drifted from inside. Children ran freely down the streets of the city, but in the shop's shadows, they were alone.

Rachel turned to demand answers but was distracted by the sight of tears streaming down her new friend's cheeks.

"Oh my gods!" she exclaimed. "What's wrong? Who was that on the phone?"

Octavian let out a shaky breath. "That was my dad. He lives in Arizona with my sister; my mom was the demigod in our family, and when she passed away a couple years ago, my dad didn't feel comfortable staying in New Rome because he's mortal."

Rachel was glad that Octavian had warmed up to her enough to tell her this, but it didn't explain his tears. "What happened, though? Is he alright?"

Octavian let out a humorless chuckle. "Oh, it's not him I'm worried about."

"Then who?"

"My little sister, Olivia, is five years old. She's the most beautiful little girl I've ever known. Her eyes are as blue as a cloudless sky, and her hair, when she has any, is like gold. I love her more than everyone and everything else in my life. She's so sweet and smart and caring and innocent. And yet every other week she's in the hospital for dialysis or chemo or radiation, even though she is the last person who deserves it."

Rachel was staring to get it. "So Olivia –"

"There's a fancy term for it, but to put it simply: my sister is dying from preleukemia."

* * *

**So, yeah. I hate Octavian. But I don't like to think he's ALL evil, so I gave him a reason to act harsh. Not that it's an excuse, but everyone has their own way of dealing.**

**Chapters are still gonna be slow, because I've been visited by the evil creature called Writer's Block. Yep, life sucks.**

**But I WILL update May 14th (probably) because it's my birthday! Happy 17th! I'm a bit excited, if you can't tell.**

**Questions for all of you (and this is just curiosity, so don't ask what it has to do with the story, cause the answer is nothing, really):**

**1) What are your feelings about the first Percy Jackson movie? (No swearing, please.)**

**2) What are your feelings about the trailer for the second Percy Jackson movie? (Same as above.)**

**3) Who here has seen the international trailer for Mortal Instruments: City of Bones? Because it's freaking awesome as Apollo (and Apollo is very awesome).**

**4) Who here has read Divergence (don't spoil Insurgent for me, please!)? And what are your thoughts on the cast list so far?**

**5) Does anyone else pretend they are a son/daughter of a god and goddess and have conversations about it? Or is that just me and my friend? (I'm a daughter of Poseidon and Amphitrite, btw. My friend is a daughter of Zeus and Hera.) (Yes, we're nerds. Deal with it.)**

**Please review!**


	6. Chapter Five - Nico

**So here I am, once again late, but you can't blame me!**

**Well, actually, you can if you want. But please don't!**

**I am currently STILL writing chapter 7, all because a little devil called Writer's Block has decided to make my life even harder than it already is. But the good news? The chapter is up!**

**Nico time!**

* * *

5 – Nico

As of three winters ago, Nico's life was crap.

It seemed to him that every time something good happened, something bad just _had_ to come along and mess it up.

He and Bianca got out of the Lotus Casino? They ended up at a boarding school with a manticore.

Demigods rescued them? He lost Bianca, first to the Hunt, then to the quest.

He found a way to bring Bianca back? She told him to let it – let _her_ – go.

He found himself a new sister? He ended up captured by giants.

He got rescued by said sister? Two of his closest friends fell into Tartarus.

The demigods won the war? Well, nothing bad had happened yet. But Nico was just waiting.

He knew Hazel was looking for him, and he felt awful for avoiding her and making her worry, but he'd been practically alone for years; sometimes, he just needed to isolate himself.

So here he was, traveling around Camp Jupiter through the shadows, staying away from his half-sister and her slightly crazy, extremely ADHD, fire-controlling maniac of a friend. As he slipped, invisible, through the camp, he saw Romans and Greeks interacting, hanging out and laughing like old friends.

Will Solace – head counselor of the Apollo cabin back at Camp Half-Blood – and Hazel's boyfriend Frank were shooting together at the archery range. Nico could see Clarisse La Rue making her way toward the boys, and he winced in sympathy for the son of Mars. Clarisse wasn't an easy person for even her Greek cabin mates to deal with, let alone a Roman half-brother who'd known her less than a month.

Jason and Piper were in the bakery, sharing warm buttery biscuits and Roman hot chocolate. The atmosphere around the couple was so strong, Nico could only stand it for a few seconds before he shadowed away.

He found Percy and Annabeth asleep in a hidden corner of the Field of Mars, the daughter of Athena's head resting on her boyfriend's chest. They both looked so peaceful, but Nico could see the bags under the demigods' eyes. They'd been through so much. For Annabeth, it must have been near torture to see Piper and Jason's relationship grow; Thalia had told him the blonde had spent most of her time with the Hephaestus kids, giving Leo advice on the structure of the _Argo II_ and delivering things to and from Bunker Nine. Whenever the couple came to visit their friend, Annabeth stammered an excuse and left.

Annabeth stirred and blinked her grey eyes open. "Nico?" she asked sleepily.

He shadow-traveled away before she could sit up.

_~DoP~_

Some campers – okay, _all_ campers, excluding the praetors – were unaware that there was a small plot of trees at the far edge of Camp Jupiter. It was nothing compared to the woods at Camp Half-Blood, but it was hidden and forgotten and the perfect place to go to be alone.

Nico had found the plot a while back, when he first came to the Roman camp, before he found Hazel in Asphodel. He knew for a fact that Reyna and Jason never went there.

So he was incredibly shocked when he heard the voice.

"What do you think, Koda?" it said. "Where do you think Mama's sent us to?"

Shock quickly became curiosity. Silently, Nico crept closer to the direction of the words.

He froze at what he saw.

A girl sat in the shade of a huge tree. She looked about Hazel's age but with extremely delicate features. There were no marks marring her milky skin, or at least what he could see of it. She wore a pair of grey cargo pants and white snow boots, despite the heat of the day. Her thin silver jacket was open, revealing a white shirt underneath. Her jacket's hood concealed her hair from view.

What really got Nico, though, were the animals. Surrounding the young girl in a semi-circle were a small deer, a little fox, and a tiny wolf. Her back was leaned against the side of a silver pegasus; on her shoulder perched a mini owl.

She seemed to be talking to the five wild creatures. "In the names of my mothers, where the _infernum_ am I?" she muttered. The pegasus whinnied in warning. "I know, I know, Gemma. I'm sorry for swearing. In all fairness, we probably should have asked Mother for a map. And directions. And a book or two." She sighed. "Oh, well. It's sunny; maybe Polly will find me. At the very most I'll stay here until Mama brings the moon tonight."

Nico frowned. Her words made absolutely no sense in context.

Suddenly, the wolf's head lifted. Its eyes locked on Nico, and a low, menacing growl permeated the area.

The girl frowned. "What is it, Ree?" she asked. Her own eyes – Nico couldn't decide what color they were; they looked silver, or was that grey? – searched the shadows. With the darkness wrapped around him, he should have been practically invisible. But the moment those intriguing eyes widened, he knew he'd been seen.

"Who are you?" the young voice asked. When there was no reply, she became insistent. "Come out of the shadows, son of Hades. I won't hesitate to set my friends on you." The last part was _definitely_ a threat, and she looked like she'd really do it.

Nico stiffened for a moment, and then, reluctantly, he stepped out of the dark.

* * *

**So, yeah. Not very long. But hey, it's up!**

**Review, please?**


	7. Chapter Six - Nico

**So, yeah. I did it again. But I think it's gonna be like this for a while, guys. I'm so sorry. I've got finals coming up, and the stupid county decided to make us take state-issued exams instead of teacher-made ones. If I don't pass these, I'll fail the entire semester, and my parents will kill me. And because school comes before enjoyment, I have to put my writing on the back burner. But I'm not abandoning anyone!**

**This is another Nico chapter! Enjoy!**

* * *

6 – Nico

The girl's intense gaze burned into Nico's as he slowly approached her. The wolf growled again, but she silenced it with a snap of her fingers.

When he reached the ring of animals, he stopped.

She studied him for a moment. At this close proximity, he could feel an aura of power radiating from her. She wasn't a goddess, but she was important. He kept silent.

Finally, she spoke. "You didn't answer my question."

He hesitated and then simply said, "Nico."

She blinked. "I'm Clio." She placed a gentle hand on the deer's neck. "What are you doing here, Nico?"

Nico cleared his throat. "I could ask you the same question." When she continued to observe him silently, he knew she wouldn't let it go. "I come here a lot. It's quiet, out of the way, and no one else ever comes here…. Well, until now."

She didn't catch his implication, or maybe she just didn't care. She stared up at him with those eyes that were… flickering? As Nico watched, the irises changed from silver to brown, which melted into green, which the turned blue, then to gold, then grey, and finally back to silver. It was strange, unusual, something he'd only ever seen Piper's eyes do – but it intrigued him.

Clio seemed to notice his interest. "I know, distracting, isn't it? Mom says they're just a bit wild, that they'll settle down once I'm older, but she's been saying that for years and they're still doing it." She let out a tiny laugh. "In the words of my cousin, I'm too cool for one color."

"Your cousin?"

She nodded. "Polly."

Several things clicked into place in Nico's mind.

Clio had mentioned the name _Polly_ before, when she didn't know Nico was there. She'd said he might find her because it was sunny today. And if not, she'd wait until her mother brought the moon….

That brought up another point: she'd used three different titles when referring to her maternal figure.

Suddenly, Nico realized exactly who – and _what_ – he had stumbled upon.

"How old are you, Clio?" he asked.

"Thirteen."

Time seemed to freeze. "You're her." His voice was a whisper.

Clio frowned. "What?" Then she blinked. "Oh." Realization sparked in her eyes. "This is the camp, isn't it? The one for Roman demigods?" At Nico's nod, she groaned loudly. "Of _course_ this is where they'd send me!"

The sun suddenly seemed brighter in the clearing. It faded after a second.

"Oh, shut up, Polly!" Clio exclaimed to the sky. She shook her head at Nico. "He is so annoying sometimes!"

Before Nico could reply, he felt a bump against his legs. He looked down. The fox was nudging him. It hit his shin, backed up, and did it again. It reminded Nico of a wind-up toy that kept hitting the wall and coming back.

Clio looked, too. She giggled. "Looks like Koda's made you her new best friend."

The small kit gave up on knocking Nico over – or whatever she was trying to accomplish – and instead turned her attention to Nico's loose shoelace.

"She's an Arctic fox," Clio told Nico. "A gift from Polly. He wanted to give me a raven, but Mother said no more birds. One's enough for me." She stroked her owl's feathers. "Poppy here is a barn owl. The white-tailed deer is Summer, and the timber wolf is Ree. Don't worry about the growling; she's just suspicious.

"And my pegasus here," she concluded, patting its side, "is Gemma."

Nico blinked. "You have a lot of pets."

"Well, they're not exactly _pets_, per say," she admitted. "If they wanted to, they could leave. Mama says they probably feel drawn to me because of the whole 'wild' aspect of my being. I just like to think they love me enough to stay."

Nico hesitated, then asked, "May I pet them?"

Clio nodded.

Slowly, he knelt down and held out his hand to the fox. She sniffed it curiously before shoving her head into his palm. He marveled at the soft fur and gave the eager cub a tiny smile.

Clio smiled as she watched. "Oh yeah, she's never leaving you alone now. You just gained yourself a new shadow."

There was a moment of silence between them. Then Clio spoke. "Your father is Greek, but do you know the Romans of this camp?"

Nico nodded.

She sighed. "Then I guess it's time for me to announce myself." She dragged herself to her boot-clad feet. "Come on."

He paused in his absent stroking of Koda's head. The kit huffed in protest and head-butted Nico's hand until he resumed his motions. "What do you mean, 'come on'?" he asked Clio.

She reached out for his hand and hauled him up with surprising strength. "You're gonna take me to the campers." She scooped Ree and Summer into her arms. After settling on Gemma's back, the pegasus got to its hooves.

Clio gestured to the fox. "Carry Koda for me, please?"

Nico picked up the cub, who burrowed into his open aviator's jacket.

The child of the latest prophecy nodded at Nico. "Lead the way."

And they were off.

* * *

**Yep, that's that. Another short one, but like I said, school is consuming.**

**On a different note, here's a look into the conversation my PJO/HoO-obsessed friend and I had in Earth Science today! (Yes, we pretend we're goddesses. Deal with it.)**

**We shall refer to my friend as 'A'.**

**After jokingly disagreeing on something:**

A: Don't make me set my father on you! **(She's the daughter of Zeus and Hera)**

Me: He won't do anything to make my father mad cause last time, my dad caused a tsunami!** (I'm the daughter of Poseidon and Amphitrite)**

A: Whatever. I'll get Amphitrite to help me.

Me: No, don't, she hates me!

A: Exactly. And she loves me. She helped me get revenge on your half brother.

Me: What did he do?

A: He was flirting with me and being all nasty.

Me: But Percy loves Annabeth!

A: What? No, I mean Triton!

Me: Oh. Triton's a jerk; you can do whatever you want to him.

**Basically, we're nerds. Whatever.**

**Please review! (?)**


	8. Interlude - Piper

**Okay, I really need to apologize. I'm SO sorry for how late this is! I thought I'd be able to update more since school's out, but life has been kinda crazy lately. Both my parents work, so I take care of my little sister in the mornings. Also, we're in the midst of house hunting for a new place to rent, AND my older sister is moving down here to North Carolina July 5th, so if we don't find a new place, she'll be stuck sharing my small room.**

**But enough of my excuses. I'm just gonna let you read this now. Enjoy!**

* * *

Interlude – Piper

"… and Drew wouldn't back off, so our lovely Pipes here charmspoke her into dumping half her makeup into the campfire," Jason finished, and then laughed, "Even Chiron couldn't fault her for that!"

Piper felt herself blush as her boyfriend kissed her cheek. She saw Annabeth smile happily at the memory; Piper knew the blonde hadn't gotten along with Drew Tanaka from the moment she entered Camp Half-Blood, and _especially_ not after the Asian had tried to flirt with Percy.

Luckily, it seemed as of late that Drew was unable to charmspeak. Apparently, even Aphrodite realized what a terror her oldest daughter had become.

Today, the dining hall's head table was packed. Normally, the only people sitting there would be the augur, the two praetors, and maybe a couple centurions or senators. For the duration of the Greeks' stay, however, space had been made for the Seven, the Oracle, and a couple others.

Reyna leaned over from her seat to Piper's right. "Why is your friend eating by himself?" she asked quietly.

Piper followed the praetor's gaze. Sure enough, Leo was sitting in the grass right outside the wall-less structure. He had taken a plate of food – why was it all vegetarian? – and seemed to be handing pieces of it to someone. But what –

"It's because of Echo," Hazel cut in. She was leaning forward to see around Hylla.

Seeing Piper's confused expression, the golden-eyed girl continued. "Remember when we were in Utah, and Leo and I left the ship to find Celestial bronze for repairs and came back chased by a mob of angry nymphs?"

Piper nodded.

As she and Reyna listened as Hazel explained why they'd been chased, and then as the daughter of Pluto repeated what Leo had told her about the wood nymph, Piper was shocked. It wasn't so much the back-to-life part – she was talking to a living girl who'd died in the 1940s, after all – but that a nymph, traveling alone with no way to communicate, had managed to track down two demigods she'd barely met in little more than a month. Then again, determination can get you anywhere.

She could see the girl now, carefully sniffing each piece of food before tentatively nibbling it. For once, Leo seemed _calm_. He sat almost completely still; his movements where slow and purposeful, thought-out so as to not startle the clearly skittish nymph. Since she'd met him almost a year ago, Piper had never seen the tinkerer so careful and motionless. She found it slightly disturbing in a way.

Suddenly, Hylla stiffened. Her black eyes locked onto something.

Reyna frowned at her sister. "What is it, Hy?"

The Amazon queen didn't even bat an eye at the nickname. "Out there."

Every person at the head table followed her gaze.

In the distance, something approached under the afternoon sun. At first, Piper thought it might be a loose unicorn – Jason had shown them to her back in June – but as the shape drew nearer, she realized what she'd perceived as a horn was actually an animal.

From her seat at one end of the table, Rachel said, "It's starting."

The figure drew closer and snapped into focus.

The first thing Piper noticed was the girl. Right after that, she realized what the girl was wearing. She'd grown up in California, and she knew just how hot it could get, especially in August. There was no way anyone – or at least, any _human _– could survive the heat wearing the clothes this girl had on.

The girl herself was intriguing. Her long apparel concealed all but her hands, and her face was hidden in the shadow of her raised hood. She was perched on the back of a beautiful silver pegasus with white and grey wings. Her arms were cradled against her body. The bird on her head was an owl.

Probably the most surprising, though, was the familiar boy walking beside the winged horse. Hazel's brother held something close to him with one arm; with his opposite hand, he provided the pegasus with gentle guidance.

Piper saw Clarisse glance at the long front table and, seeing what they were looking at, nudge the Amazon next to her and point.

Soon, the dining hall was silent, every gaze directed at the same thing.

The group didn't stop when it reached the structure. They continued walking, maneuvering through the tables and couches, until they reached the front. Nico slowed the pegasus to a halt.

For a moment, silence reigned.

Finally, Reyna said, her voice cool, "Will you not introduce us to your companion, son of Hades?"

He didn't respond. He looked up at the hooded girl and jerked his head. She swung her right leg over the pegasus' side before handing Nico a tiny deer and sliding to the ground.

The girl stood straight and tall, clutching a wolf cub to her chest. With a slight flick of her head, her hood slipped off, allowing wave upon wave of silvery hair to tumble down her back, stopping at the backs of her knees. She took a deep breath and, looking the female praetor right in the eye, dropped the ultimate bomb:

"My name is Clio. I am thirteen years old. I am the symbol-born daughter of the goddesses Minerva, Vesta, and Diana.

"I am the child of your prophecy."

* * *

**Alright, I feel really bad, this is super short. But it's the best I could come up with in what little time I get on the computer each day.**

**Please review! I love you all!**

**- Bree**

**P.S. Has anyone seen the House of Hades cover? OMG! Fangirl freakout!**

**Also, did anyone read the sneak chapter at the end of Son of Sobek? I think Uncle Rick is trying to kill us.**

**Peace!**


	9. Interlude Two - Echo

**So... here I am! Hehe, long time no update, huh?**

**I'm seriously so sorry for the wait, and for another short interlude chapter. Life is kinda hectic right now; tomorrow we're moving and the house is a mess of boxes and stress right now. But hopefully I'll get some inspiration soon and be able to upload my first Clio POV chapter!**

**So without further ado, here's Echo!**

* * *

Interlude 2 – Echo

"Alright, let's try again. What is my name?"

Echo worked her mouth silently, trying to get her voice to come out the way she wanted. When she couldn't make the sound, she sighed in frustration and instead tapped on the edge of the plate.

.-.. . - (_Leo_)

Brown-eyed-Leo frowned at her. "Echo, you need to work on actually _saying_ things. You can't always tap things out; most people don't understand Morse code."

Echo stuck her tongue out at him and reached for a grape.

"Nuh-uh." Leo pulled the plate away. "Say my name and then you can have one."

Echo groaned, letting herself fall backward onto the blanket. "Have one!" she insisted, glaring at Leo.

The tinkerer didn't budge. "Not until you say it."

Echo rolled over onto her stomach and huffed out a breath. "L–" she began.

Leo nodded in encouragement.

"Le…eee…oh. Le-oh. Leo?"

Leo stared for a moment before letting out an excited whoop. "You did it!" He flung his arms around her. "For that, you get three grapes and the roll." He handed over the promised food.

Echo quickly scarfed down the offered bread and fruit, feeling oddly pleased that she had made curly-haired-Leo so happy.

Why was she having these feelings around him? Yes, he'd been nice to her in Utah, and now here in the Roman camp, but so had dark-skinned-Hazel and freckly-Rachel. What made the son of Hephaestus any different?

Before Echo could venture further into her thoughts, she saw Leo-who-sometimes-spoke-Spanish freeze and then squint. Confused, she turned her head to look.

A figure appeared in the distance, riding what seemed to be some sort of horse. Beside the animal walked another person.

Leo turned back to Echo. "Well, something's coming, and it's probably gonna set the whole camp on edge. Looks like we'll have to continue our speaking practice another time."

Silently, Echo rejoiced. She liked Leo, she really did, but trying to talk without repeating someone hurt her head.

Physically, she nodded.

Leo helped her to her feet and handed her the plate of food. When he looked away, she quickly stuffed the rest of the grapes into her mouth. When he turned back to her, she tried to smile innocently. Which wasn't very possible with her cheeks puffed out from the fruit.

Leo laughed and grabbed her hand. "Come on, Echo. Let's go see what's up."

* * *

**So what'd'ya think? By the way, the idea for the hyphenated descriptions (curly-haired-Leo, freckly-Rachel, etc.) came from the Inheritance Cycle (Eragon, Eldest, Brisingr, Inheritance) by Christopher Paolini. If you've read those, you might recognize this as the way Saphira thinks of people.**

**Also, I figured I'd give you a little synopsis of a new PJO idea I got and will probably someday write, if I ever finish one of my current stories.**

**(No title so far; suggestions?)**

**When Luke dies, he doesn't go to Elysium, or even to the Underworld; instead, he is transported back four years, to the time before Percy's first quest. He realizes he's been given a second chance, and he's determined not to screw it up.**

**When will this be out, you ask? I have no clue, don't ask me.**

**Also! I'm going to be posting a challenge for my Avengers story, _Isolation_, with the next chapter. Check it out!**

**Review?**


End file.
